The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-05-22
TIE THIRD WATCH
THE THE WHEN CRIMINALS DO
THEIR WORST.


tn Give Money to the Poor Rather
than Professionalism the Most Heart
less of All Evil Doors.
BRooKLYs, May l5.-At the tabernacle this
morning there were the same great throngs Of
people as usual, Overlooking the main audi
ence room into the corridors, and from the
corridors into the street. This, the largest
church la Ann RIGA, is more and more made
quat+ t'' hold the people, as the years go by.
The pastor, the Rev. L. DE Witt Talnage,
DID. took for his text this morning: Watch
man, what of the nightf' Isaiah xxi, 2 He
sail:
When night came down Babylon,
EineveiI, and Jerusalem, they Eeesied care
full watching, otherwise the incendiary's
torch might have been thrust into the very
heart of tl~ metropolitan splendor; or enemies,
marching from the hills, might have forced
the gates. All night long, ON top OF the wall
and in front of the ates, might be heard the
measured step of the watchman on his solitary
beat: sils.fa, hong in air, save as some passer
by raiSssl the question: "Watchman, what
of tin, ui..htF'
1t is h ,iie "A deeply suggestive and solemn
thing t., u standing guard by night
1t thrila, through me, as at the gate of an
arsenal l., Charleston, the question once smote
me: -. no comes theref' followed by the
cou;ttcrsiriL" Every moral teacher stands
on p.ei.et, or patrols the wall as Waterman.
His work j. ~ sound the alarm; and whether
il be in the first watch, in the second watch,
in the third watch, or in the fourth watch, to
be visiltnt until the daybreak filings its
''lnornin;, elories" of blooming cloud across
the nrching trellis of the sky.
The aucents divided their night into four
parts-the first watch, from 8 to 0; the second,
from . to Il; the third. from IL to 8; the
fourth, from ; to g.
speak now of the city in the third watch,
or from IL To ) o'clock.
never weary Of looking upon the life and
br;ilaney of the city in the first watch. That
Is the hour when the stores are closing. The
laborinS men, having quilted the scaffolding
AMI the shop, ON their way home. 1t
joices me to give them my seat in the city
car They have stood and hammered away
all day. Their feet are weary. They ex-
baiisted with the tug Of work They
mostly cheerful With appetites sharpened
on the swift turner's wheel and the carpen-
teri; wEctstone, they seek the evening meal.
The clerks, too, have broken away from the
counter. and with brain weary of the long
line OF figures, and the whims of those who
go n shopping, seek the face of mother, or
wife AMI child. Tho merchants arc unhar-
Messing themselves from their anxieties
their way up the street. The boys that lock
up are hoavirg away at the shutters, showing
the heavy bolts and taking a last look at the
fire To SEQ that ali is safe. The streets are
thronGed with young men setting out from
the great ccIiters OF bargain making.
Let idlers clear the street. and give right of
way to the besweated artisans and merchants
They have earned their bread, and are now
on their way home to get it.
The lights in full jet hang over 10000
evening repasts-the parents at either end of
tho table. the chldrc' hctwecn. Thank God,
a'who setteth the soil in families"
a few hours later and all the places Of
an,lgernent, good and bad, are in full tide
Lovers of art, catalogue in hand, stroll
through tho galleries and discuss the pict-
ures The ballroom is respondent with the
rich apparel Of those who, on either side of
the white glistening boards await the signal
from the orchestra. The footlights OF the
theatre flash up. the bell rings, and the cur
tain rises, and out from the gorgeous scenery
glide the actors, greeted with the vocifera-
ton of the expectans mutitudes. Concert
halls are lifted into enchantInent with the
MARBLE of one songstress, or swept out on a
sea of tumultuous feeling by the blast of bra
zen instruments. Drawing rooms are filed
with all gracefulness of apparel, with all
sweetness Of sound, with all splendor of man.
ner; mirrors are catching up and multiplying
the scene until it seems as if in infinite corri-
doris there garlanded groups advancing
and retreatinS.
The outdoor air rings with laughter and
with the moving to of thousands ON the great
promenades. The dashing span, adrip with
the foam of the long country ride, rushes past
as you halt at the curb stone.
Mirth, revelry. beauty, fashion, magnifi-
cence mngle in the great metropolitan pict-
ure, until the thinking man goes home to
think more seriously and the praying man to
pray moro earnestly.
beautiful and overwhelming thing Is the
city in the first and second watches Of the
night.
But the clock strikes IL, and the third watch
has begun.
Tho thunder of the city has rolled out Of
the air The slightest sounds cut the night
with such distinctness as to attract your at
tention The tinkling of the bell of the street
car in the distance and the baying of the dog;
the stamp OF the horse in the next street;
The slanlming of a saloon door; the hic-
cough of the drunkard; the shrieks Of the
steam whistle, five miles away-Oh, how sug-
cestive, my friends, tho third watch Of the
night
There are honest men passing up and down
the street. Here is city missionary who
has been carrying scuttle of coal to that
poor family i'll that dark place. Here is
undertaken going UP the steps of n building
from which there comes bitter cry, which
indicates that the destroying angel has smt-
ten tbs first torn. Here Is n minister of re-
li-ion WHO has been giving the sacrament to
q t!yin,c Christian. Here is n physician pass
ing Glon;. in great haste the messenger a few
steps u ho,Yi hurrying ON to the household
Nearly ali the lights have gone out in the
Dwelling, for it is the third watch of the
ui~ht That light in the window Is the light
OF {. watcher, for the medicines must be al
mini tered, and the fever must be watched
and the restless tossing of OF the coverlid
must he resist II, an,i he ice must be kept on
the hot temp *, and the perpetual prayer
must go up from hearts soon to DO broken.
Ga, thc third watch of the night, What
n stu.l-udcus t.iouSht-a whole city mt resti
Weary urni preparing for to-morrow's toll !;
hot brain heinr cooled OFF; rigid muscles
relaxed; excited nerves soothed; the white
hair of the octoscnarian in thin drifts across
the pillow; fresh fail Of flakes on SNOW already
fallen; childhood with its dimpled hands
thrown out the pillow, and with every
brra;h taking in anew store of fun and frolic
Third watch Of the night Gods slumherless
eye Will look. Lee one greet wave of refresh
ing s,T,mLsr ron over the heart of the great
towu, subn+rgin,. care, and anxiety, and
worriment and pain
Let tie city sleep. But. my friends, be not
deceived. There will Ire thousands tonight
who will no. sleapa at all. Go up that dark alley
and he cautious where you trCa,l lest you fall
thu pros, rate form OF drunkard lying,
on his own d,o.~tcp. Look alnut you, hest
you feel the sarrotcr's Ing. Look through
the broken window pane and see what you
can see. You say Nothing" Then listen.
What is iti God help us!" No footlghts
but tragedy ghastler and mis.1-sier than Ris
tori or Edwin Booth ever enacted. No Light
no fire. no bread, no hope. Shivering in the
cold, they have had no food for twenty -four
hours. You say "Why don't they begf'
They do, but they get nothing. You say